Quinns: Hi everybody. This week we’re asking for new Shut Up & Sit Down donations for 2016. I’ll keep this brief in case you have an important job, like mending street lights or selling ice cream. If you’d like more details, you’ll find them all after the cut.
Shut Up & Sit Down is kept alive through donations
Have you noticed that SU&SD has no adverts? There’s more – unlike many commercial board game review sites, Shut Up & Sit Down doesn’t accept money from publishers or designers in exchange for content (though we still get emailed about it every week). Instead, this site is kept running by our Gold Club members, the fans of SU&SD who pay for it to keep running.
This week, we’re asking you to sign up!
“Why now?” A better question is why it’s been so long! Our last donation drive was actually in 2014(!), but we wanted to make good on our promises before we asked for money again. Now Quinns has fallen in a canal and we’ve launched the new site, we’re ready to plan the next leg of our trip up Mt. Nonsense.
Fabulous rewards on offer for donors!
98% of your money is going right back into this site, BUT ALSO anyone who donates or signs up for a subscription in a given month will receive our new, monthly behind-the-scenes newsletter, explaining what we’re working on, what games we’re planning on recommending and mystery extra bits.
The first edition of this newsletter will be sent out on May 31st.
More info on donating awaits, after the jump!
Why do you need money?
Here’s a list of the expenses involved in this site, from biggest to smallest: Wages, taxes, credit card handler fees, flights, hotels, hosting fees, web admin, camera equipment, editing software rental, board games, mics, public transport, lights, live a/v fees, costumes, alcohol & sugar.
(NOTE: In any right-minded world this list would be the other way around.)
But mostly we need money because of the time required to run this site well. We’re so, so happy that SU&SD has grown as much as it has. It’s all we ever wanted. But not only do we make the most time-intensive reviews in the business, you wouldn’t believe how many hours we spend each week answering and sending emails or co-ordinating in Slack.
It doesn’t matter how cool the job seems, being successful means More Emails. I guarantee Willy Wonka spends every single morning with a cup of perfectly normal coffee and a full inbox.
What happened to mailing out Gold Club bags?
Team SU&SD is a lot of things. We have very long legs. We have good eyesight. We smell of biscuits. But one thing we’re not is time-rich, and we found out that complex rewards for backers are a giant drain on our work-week when we just want to keep making content that everyone can enjoy, regardless of their disposable income.
So while we’re incredibly proud of the Gold Club packages that turned Matt’s house into a factory for weeks at a time, we won’t be doing them again.
What outrageous plans do you have for the future?
Right now? We’d love to increase the frequency of our podcast further still, as you guys have always asked for that – hence our announcing four live podcasts just last week. Other than that, wait and see! In this Friday’s short donation-related video we’ll be revealing some ambitious projects we’d love to embark on.
For an example of the mad stuff we can get up to with proper funding, check out our “Best of” roundup from 2015. It includes our illustrated Cards Against Humanity review, the Megagame videos, our exclusive preview of Star Wars Rebellion, our beautimus 2nd Gen Con Special and our Top 50 Games EVER. But it also just scratches the surface of everything we put out.
We’re really proud of how of our reviews have been going from strength to strength in 2015, too. Check out Brass or Food Chain Magnate! They are SO FUNNY
Can I donate via PayPal?
For the very first time, YES YOU CAN.
What exactly entitles me to the Sexy New Newsletter in a given month?
Making a payment to us (via a subscription, one-off payment or a PayPal donation) or just signing up for a subscription will get you that month’s newsletter, which will always go out on the last day of the month.
Be sure to donate with your correct email address or there’s nothing we can do to help. NOTHING.
Why is there still no merch?
We’re working on it! Imagine our to-do list as a big piece of tea-stained paper with the following written on it:
FORUM
NEW IMPROVED SITE
SHOP FULL OF SILLY (COOL?) SHIRTS AND MUGS
I have security concerns about giving you my credit card!
Shut Up & Sit Down doesn’t store your credit card. Security is handled by our billing provider, Braintree, who are used by such reputable companies as AirBnB and Pinterest.
I can support you via Amazon Affiliate links too, right?
Yes! We’ll be talking about that tomorrow.
I have other questions!
Oh, ok! For general questions about pledging to support SU&SD you can email me at [email protected]. If you have technical problems to do with processing your donation, please email [email protected].
Where’s the donation link again?
Right here. The page is also accessible through the big gold button up there on the right.
Thank you so much, everybody. Here’s to another great year.
– Quinns
